July 28th, 1763

We called today at Mrs H and had a most commotional morning, as she was more occupied with her new housemaid mending the pillows and sheets and related us her bad luck in not only losing a housemaid but also her housekeeper, who both went to Carlisle. Now she had to train the maid and to look for a new trustworthy housekeeper while she and her daughter had to cope with some of the house work themselves. And to double her trouble she complained about the butcher and advised me to weigh the meat, that comes in, myself, as she doesn't trust the regularity of his work "that old fox!"... - I think Mrs Lewis would get a heart attack after seeing me weighing the meat or doing anything down in the kitchen...